flashback - a dingo ate my baby and then i ate the dingo

I was going to do a flashback to three years ago today and then realized that it was also Friday Flashback prompt day. So, instead of not doing one or the other - I decided to do both. I know you are oh so glad and on the edge of your seat with bated breath. Come with me as I flashback to three years ago today. You see, I was 8 months pregnant and the size of full grown hippo. Scoff as you may, the images that you are about to see are, or should I say were, larger then they appear.
Being the over achiever that I am I tend to go big. Ask me about my first son... I dare you! You will run away screaming and crying at the thought of pushing him out.... I know you will! Thus the long expansion of time between my two boys. There was a lot of convincing involved to get this girl to, open up shall we say, to the idea of birthing again. Young children would run and quiver behind their mothers when they saw pregnant me coming towards them. Now, the picture you are viewing is of me at 35 weeks with an 80 pound belly. Honest. I put on 80 pounds and it was all in my belly. Ok, there was a good distribution to my arse as well, but it was not highlighted until after my son was born and the atrocity in the front shrunk. So for now I will claim that it was all belly weight. The picture was taken the night they began to induce me. My liver obviously did not like being squished out of the way by little, (fat chubby monkey) Grady and was revolting. It disliked him so much that it was deciding to shut down. Oh yes, great fun. So off to the hospital we went to save me and the monster child. And thankfully so because even at just over five weeks early he was 8 lb 10 oz. Did you know babies gain at least a pound a week that last month of pregnancy? Do the math... it would have been UGLY. Ugly like my first child. Come on, that dare is still out there...

So tomorrow is the big third birthday. A little fun to take my mind off the impending doom of next week. We have been practicing showing three fingers instead of two when someone asks how old he is. Maybe by tomorrow he will have it down but knowing him he just won't care!

birthday madness

This past weekend was birthday bash weekend. We celebrated both boys birthdays with one big party! Ok, it wasn't really that big and due to my laziness and lack of planning it just happened that way. One of my traditions is to make 'special' cakes. Silly me started this tradition when it was just Drake and it was easy to do. But now there is Grady...sigh. And he just had to come five weeks early so it threw a wrench in my ultimate plan. If Grady came closer to his due date then there would be a good six weeks between the boys' birthdays, but he has never been one for convenience. So now their birthdays are a week apart and I think they will always be lumped together from this day forward.
That said, I still try and do 'special' cakes. The elaborateness (yes that is a word) is not what it used to be but the thought and love is still there. Really, it is. So much so this year that I bought plastic cake toppers. Sad and pathetic I know... I am really working on my Bad Mommy Stars. I think I may run for president of the group. Thankfully my boys are easily amused and loved their cakes. Drake liked his because he could use is Tec Deck guys on the ramp. He said it was like getting a free toy - hello?! Isn't that what birthdays are about?? Score one for me.
Grady caught sight of his cake and started flapping and squealing. It was quite scary to watch. You see, he is obsessed with trains. Some of you know my feelings about trains and that I prohibited them from my house when Drake was growing up. I have not been so lucky with Grady. So when he caught sight of his little Thomas the Train cake, it started a flapping frenzy. I am happy to say that each boy was happy with my cop-out cakes. Maybe next year I will be more motivated to create cake masterpieces, but knowing my score card, probably not.

* Blogger is being a pain in my ass and not letting me upload pictures - damn!! As soon as it is done having a hissy fit I will add the pictures that go with the post. They are quite fab I must say!

** Finally got the pictures added but my Blogger was still not very friendly about the matter. Grrrrr

gr8 2b 8

Today you turn eight and I am once again faced with the fact that you are growing up faster then I would like you to. Your father pointed out this morning that you were half way to driving. Please disregard the nasty words I directed at him after that comment, I was a little deranged at the time. Oh and by the way - that was totally a love tap, no harm no foul! I love watching you grow up but secretly hate it too. You can still woo me with those eyes of blue to make you a jelly sandwich with EXTRA jelly for your lunch even though deep down I know that it has no nutritional value and that it will send you off to recess on an extreme sugar high.
I remember when you thought I was everything and the world revolved around me. (hello - who shouldn't!) You would cry when I left and run at me with such ferocity when I came back. I loved that you were my partner in crime and you sought me for worldly advice.
Your innocence and curiosity has always amazed me. You are always investigating something or another. We stumbled through a lot of firsts with me making many mistakes along the way. Hopefully the therapy bills will not be too pricey!

Your sense of humor and silliness always makes me laugh. I often forget because of your 'grown up' tendencies that you are still a child. A child who was so excited because today, you got to use the maracas in music class because it was your birthday. And those eye patches - oh how you loved your pirate patches!! Good thing because you had to wear them FOREVER!!! Your dissertation to other young children as to why you had to wear them over your eye got me every time. Unfortunately they got lost after the first sentence, but nodded along with what you said anyway.

Now you are independent and off doing boy things. Football, skateboarding, snowboarding - what happened to trucks and blocks? How did that time slip through my fingers so quickly? What happened to the chubby faced baby I held in my arms just moments ago. As the time goes on I wonder about what the future holds for you and if you will still be 'you' as a man. And even with all this uncertainty I am enthralled with how you continue to evolve into your own little being. Happy birthday Drakers!!

reconnected to an old favorite

I love this song and had lost it for quite some time. Every time I hear it it reminds me of Drake. Don't ask me why, don't ask me how, it just does. Since tomorrow is the big birthday, I thought I would do a little video prelude. Enjoy!